Apparatus for fumigating.



R. N. SARGENT.

APPARATUS FOR FUMIGATING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. I915.

1L,2%2,677@ Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

improvements in apparatus for fumigating,

' be fumigated,

mvra nn strarns Parana canton RALPH NELSON SARGEN'I, 0F PERTH AMBO ROESSLER & HASSLACHER ooR'PonATIoNoF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FUMIGATING.

Application filed March To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH NELSON SAR- ornvr, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Apparatus for Fumigating, of which the following'is a specification 7 My invention relates to new and useful tages will be referred-to hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The method now in common use in fumigating, for instance with hydrocyanic acid gas, is to distribute stoneware crooks or vessels throughout the space or'compartment to The operator has to advance from one vessel to the next, thus entailing a great deal of work and a certain amount of danger. By.

this. method the hydrocyanic acid" gas "is strongest near the generators and weakest in the corners and parts of the compartment farthest removed from the generators. This process, notwithstanding comings, has proved tolerably efficient in the fumigation of trees under tents, but is cum- 'bersome for the disinfection of compartments in buildings or boats or in any other location which occasionally needs disinfection to kill vermin or other low and undesirable, forms of animal life. The greatest lack of efiiciency of this old method or of any modification known up to now, is observable in the fumigation of the ground to kill beetles, worms and especially the pernicious Phyllomem on the roots of infected grape vines. There has been no fumigation process or apparatus up to the present permitting of universal application but I have i Specification of Letters Patent.

placing in these vessels first water, then acid, and finally solid cyanid;

its many short- 2, 1915. Serial N0. 11,593.

succeeded in developing a process Y, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR CHEMICAL COMPANY TO THE ,or new YonK, N. "K, a

Patented Apr. 11%, 119157.

and apparatus suitable for such universal application and accomplishing, among other things, a

solution of the problem. 0 ground.

f disinfecting the For the better understanding of my invention I shall describe th example, as applied to the ground by means of hydro e same, by way of fumigation of the cyanic acid, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which a suitable a1 rangement of apparatus is shown in elevation, partially in section, and which, in a rather diagrammatic way, illustrates one form of apparatus preferably used for into efiect.

In the drawing, A ind which is mounted a source erably a gas engine, which is connected by with a compressor 3,

means of a clutch 2, a pump 5 being connected by means of a clutch a.

carrying my new process icates a truck on of power 1, prefto the compressor Adjacent .pump 5 are located a tank 6 for cyanid solution pro vided' with a screen 6 and a gas generator 7, e 8 with an outlet 9. A

to hold solid cyal id, surrounded by jacket pipe lO connects the exhaust of engine 1 with the acket 8. The

top of generator necks 11 and 12, and a nearly to the bottom 7 is provided with two tube 13 reaching ofthe generator. Both the intake and the outlet of the compressor 3 are connected to thre with valves 1%, 15, Neck 11 is connected with by means of pipes 18 and valve 20 establishing pipes 18 and l9g 'and. a pipes 1 9 and 13';

and necklQ are p from fieck 12 is provided which a suitable hose 25 e-way tubes provided 16 and 17, as shown.

valves 15 and 17 19 respectively, a

connection between lve 21 connecting The upper ends of pipe 13 rovided with valves 22 and W 28 respectively, and side-arm 12 extending with valve 2st to connected w1th a fork of soil tubes 26 is joined; a like hose 27 connected'with a fork of soil tubes 28 is joined to valve 16 adjacent the compressor, The gas generator 7 and tank 6 are provided with suitable covers 29 and 30 respectively. There 1s a. connection between pump 5 and the lower part of tank 31, while the upper p upper part of generator 7 connected by pipe 32 bran tank and generator and c 6 by means of pipe art of tank 6 and the and the pump are ching ofl lnto the arrying valves 33 either by treating pcrature and carrying a its decon'iposition.

and 31 respectively. The bottom of generator 7 is provided with a large discharge alve \Vith regard to the operation of the apparatus, I wish to state that the hydrocyanic acid gas may be generated in the gas generator, for example, in either of two ways, therein a liquid consisting of sodium cyanid solution alone, or a liquid consisting of a mixture of sodium cyanid and a suitable acid, as for instance diluted sulfuric acid.

The cyanid solution alone for instance, combustion gases of high temlarge amount of carbonic acid gas, but practically free of unburned hydrocarbons, are available for Assuming that. the liquor in the gas generator consists of a mixture of dilute sulfuric acid and proportionate quantities of sodium cyanid solution, the process may be carried out in various ways depending on whether negative pressure or excess pressure is preferable according to the purposes of the situation. By opening either valve 22 or 23 air may be drawn through the liquor, or above it, as may be desired, the generator 7 being then under negative. pressure, 2'. e. the mixture of hydrocyanid acid gas and air, hereinafter simply called gas mixture being sucked from the generator 7 through neck 11 and pipe 18 to the compressor 3 and thence driven through valve 16 into hose 27 to leave through the tubes 28, inserted in the ground. The process may, however, also be operated in such a way that gen erator 7 is under pressure above atmospheric pressure; in this case valve 16 is closed and air is drawn in through valve 11, to be discharged through or passed over the liquor in the generator 7 through pipe 13 or neck 11' respectively, as may be desired. The gas mixture is'then driven out through neck 12 and hose 25 to leave through the soil tubes 26 inserted in the ground.

As indicated above, combustion gases of high temperature and containing a high percentage of carbonic acid gas may also be used very advantageously for the generation of hydrocyanic acid gas provided the,

motor works accurately enough to completely burn up the fuel charge. The use of carbon dioxid may be conveniently accomplished by connecting exhaust 10 with pipe 1 13 at a point below alve 22, the gas passing through a pipe 38 controlled by valve 39.

For the better understanding of my apparatus and process 1 will describeits operation by setting forth a specific example of the use of same by way of illustration, as follows:

In starting the operation I open valves 23, 15 and 16, and cl0se.valves 2 1, 1-1, .17, 22 and 20, start the engine and throw clutch 2 may be used if,

into gear. This will start the compressor and air will be drawn through valve23 and will pass through neck 11, thence through pipe 18 and valve 15 to the suction side of compressor 3, thence through valve 16 and hose 27 and soil tubes 28 into the ground. Then I throw clutch 1 to start the pump Cyanid solution will now be pumped from the bottom of tank 6 into the top of the generator 7 through valve 31; the stream of said cyanid solution may conveniently be regulated by opening or closing, more or less, the valve 32-3. thereby pern'iitting some of the solution to circulate in the solution pumping system, without entering the generator.

'l'lydrocyanic acid will'be developed when the solution mixes with the-diluted acid in the generator; this acid should be of sufficient temperature (say between (SO-100 C.)- so that hydrocyanic acid gas will be evolved, which will then mix with the air and leaving in the direction indicated by arrow 30, is pumped through the pipe system referred to above to finally enter the ground.

In another example, which I am about to describe, the gas generator 7 is under a pressure above the atmospheric pressure. To accomplish this I open valves 14, 17, 21, 2%

and close valves 15, 16, 22, 23 and 20. I then start the engine 1 and connect compressor 3 with the same by clutch 2; air then enters cyanid solution will be discharged into the acid and the hydrocyanic acid gas will mix with the air, the desired gas-mixture now entering the ground through the tubes 26. Many well known and efficient gaseous disinfecting agents, such as sulfur dioxid, chlorin, formaldehyde, etc., may be produced and applied in the same way as de scribed above and it is evident that volatile substances also, such as carbon bisulfid mav equally well be applied by my new apparatus and process, as carbon'bisulfid for example, is easily evaporated by conducting a ,draft of a suitable gas, as for instance combustion gases, over the mass of the carbon bisulfid or by bubbling the combustion gases through the same. I

It is of course understood that any gas which is not detrimental to the ground or to valuable things growing or existing in the same, and which also behaves generally like an inert gas toward the gaseous disinfecting agent, may be used to partly or entirely sublia such inert gases are combustion gases,

if developed and pumped into the ground unmixed, i. 6. without any diluting gas, condenses or reacts with the soil very quickly, and therefore does not diffuse through the same and is thuslost without any beneficial result. It is necessary, as I have found, to carry the hydrocyanic acid gas into or through the ground by aid of air or other suitable gas as the admixed gas aids the diffusion of the disinfecting agent through the .ground and as the large volumes of dilutmg gas prevent the highly volatile hydrocyanic acid gas from condensing at the temperature naturally coming in question, or at least reduce its condensation below the harmful degree, the obtained results being most advantageous and superior to those given by any other method.

y new apparatus and process is also free from the haphazards of the old processes resulting from spilling of acid or from the loss and danger from undecomposed residue, inasmuch as my new apparatus permits a most convenient and perfect control of all the various steps of the process, as for instance, the admission of the cyanid solution I to the sulfuric acid, and as the latter is al- Ways maintained in excess, a complete decomposltion of the more expensive cyanld is obta ned and guaranteed.

- My new apparatus and process is also of The many a universal application because it may be used equally well for the fumigation of trees under tents, for' compartments in buildings or ships or for any infection may become desirable. A further considerable advantage in this respect is afforded by my new apparatus and process inasmuch as it permits a thorough diffusion of the air within the space of the com partment because by suitable piping systems the gaseous disinfecting agent may be equally well brought to all parts of "tlie space. In all these uses my improvement renders it possible to locate the fumi ating machine outside the respective co partment, the gas mixture containing the hydrocyanic acid being most conveniently forced into the compartment from without,.through a hose by means of the machine ls/described. different applications to which my new apparatus and process is suitable other purpose where dis- I connected to said tank and said generator and means for driving said compressor and pump. a

2. In an apparatus for fumig'ating, the combination .of a compressor, a'tank and a gas generator, a connection between said compressor and said generator, a pump connected to said tank and said generator, a jacket for said generator and'means for driving said compressor and pump.

3. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of a. compressor, a tank and a gas generator, a pipe passing through the cover of the generator and extending nearly to the bottom thereof, and a plurality of necks connecting with said generator, a connection between said pipe and said compressor and between one of said necks and said compressor, a pump connected to said tank and said generator, and means for driving said compressor and pump.

a l. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of a compressor, a tank and a gas generator, a pipe passing through the cover ofsaid generator and extending nearly to the bottom thereof, a connection from said pipe to the pressure side of said compressor, a connection from said generator to the suction side of the compressor, a connection between said two connections, a connection to said generator from the outside, 'a pump connected to said tank and said generator, andmeans for driving said compressor and pump.

5. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of acompressor, a tank and a gas generator, a connection between said compressor and said generator, a pump connected to said tank and said generator, a by-pass connection from said last-named connection to said tank, and means for driving said compressor and pump.

6. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of a compressor, a tank and a gas generator, a pipe passing through the cover of the generator to the bottom thereof, a connection from said pipe to the pressure side of the compressor, a discharge pressure side of the compressor, a connection from the generator to the suction side of the compressor, an inlet connection on the suction side of the compressor, a cross connection between the pipe connection and andextending nearly connection from the compressor connection of the generator, a discharge connectlon from the generator, an

air inlet associated with said discharge connection, a pump connected to said tank-and said generator, a by-pass connection from said last-named connection to said tank, and means for driving said compressor and pump.

7. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of a gas engine, a compressor, a tank and a gas generator, a connection between said compressor and said generator and between said tank and said generator and means for conveying the waste products of combustion from the gas engine to the generator.

8. In an apparatus for fumigating, the combination of a compressor, a tank and a gas generator, a connection between said compressor and said generator, a pump connected to said tank and the generator, a set of soil tubes, a connection from the high pressure side of the compressor and said soil tubes, a second set of soil tubes, a connection from the generator to said second set of soil tubes, valve controlled means for directing the flow of gas through one or the other of said sets of soil tubes and means for driving said compressor and pump.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 

